Little Conversations

This is a conversation that Middle A and I had the other day. We have many cute, strange, and funny conversations around here. I need someone to share them with, so I choose you! Aren’t you so lucky!?

Middle A
Me

Soooo......I want a tree house.

You do?

Yes. One with bars I can climb on. Outside in our tree so I don’t get hurt.

Really?

Yes. How can I get one?

Maybe you could ask Daddy to build it.

[gasp] I have my own tools!
(She’s referring to a toy tool bench).

Wow! You do!

I have a hammer, and stickers (nails), and I can help Daddy build it!

Sounds good to me, kiddo!


That night, she woke up in the middle of the night looking for her sheep. Sheep is her favorite stuffed animal. She sleeps with it every night. We found sheep and I started to tuck her back into her bed, but she got upset and started kicking the covers off.

What’s wrong?

I want to sleep in my sleeping house!!!

Sleeping house?

Yes. I want to sleep in it. 

Honey, I don’t know what that is.

Outside! I want to sleep in my sleeping house.

OH! Your tree house? 

Yes! My tree house.

We don’t have a treehouse yet. 

I have to ask Daddy to build it?

Yes, sweetheart. 

I can use my hammer and my stickers? 

Yes, love. 

I love you so much, Mom.

I love you too, sweetheart. 

Book Review: The Second Daughter

The Second Daughter
by J. Jeffrey

• www.theseconddaughter.com
• Print Length: 275 pages
• Publisher: Top Press; 1 edition (January 3, 2013)
• ISBN: 1480043214

_____________________

Synopsis

You try turning out all right after you overhear your mother wishing you hadn’t been born.

It had started out well. Umbrellas tangled. A storybook romance followed. A wonderful wedding. A beautiful, sweet first daughter. They were complete, a family, happy.

And then they went and had another daughter.

Her charming and witty father Theodore starts disappearing, then worse, starts coming back. Her once allegedly sweet older sister Regina angrily resents her, and the sisters are at constant war. Her mother Helen is so busy what-iffing about the life she might have had that she overlooks the life she is actually having. Everyone blames Debra for pretty much everything as the family slowly, then quickly, then one day explosively disintegrates. Along the way there are secrets and lies, heartbreaks and betrayals, plus the dramatic unexpected death of a central character at a pivotal moment. The now young woman finds herself living awkwardly alone with her embittered mother when the phone rings—and her mother’s secret past suddenly crashes back into the present.

Their life may be about to change forever; or rather, perhaps, revert back to what it should have been all along.

But not exactly because of that phone call, as it turns out.

Because of the remarkable second daughter. For what Debra Gale has is unyielding determination. What she has is an irrepressible capacity to love. 

And now at last what she has is a chance.

The complex dynamics of a changing family. Mother, daughters, sisters, and the father who both divides and unifies them. That dramatic unexpected death, plus more than the ordinary amount of banana cream pie. Welcome to The Second Daughter: a funny but poignant, unusual but beautiful love story.

_________________

My Review

   I have to admit, The Second Daughter didn’t immediately draw me in. It started out as kind of a slow read for me. I had already read the synopsis, and knew that the story was going to be a good one, so I read on. After a chapter or two, I couldn’t put it down. There was so much going on in this small family’s life that I had to keep reading to see what happened next.

   J. Jeffrey does a great job of creating a complex story that creates a wide range of emotions for the reader. You swoon over their love story, and get annoyed when Theodore shrugs off something important to Helen. You love their new baby, Regina, then feel bad for poor little Deb. You get angry at Regina for constantly getting Deb in trouble, then you are happy when Deb and Helen become best friends. So many things happen in this book that the reader cannot possibly predict what will happen next. Theodore’s character is completely irresponsible and unpredictable, while Helen is proper and organized. They seem to be one of those ‘opposites attract’ couples, but their relationship (and eventually lack thereof) is the source of only half of the family drama. 

   Regina is a calculating, conniving little girl. She is very jealous of her younger sister and frequently conspires ways to get her in trouble. Her personality is more like Helen’s, whereas Deb is more like Theodore. Because of the differences in their personalities, the girls’ parents never believe Deb when she tries to tell them that Regina has done something on purpose to get her in trouble. Their sibling rivalry lasted into adulthood, and is the other half of the family drama. 

   I absolutely recommend this book. One of the qualities I look for in a book is that it completely submerses me into the story. J.Jeffrey did a fabulous job of that. He incorporated just enough drama, romance and conflict into the story to keep me glued to my kindle and wish there was more to read at the end! 

________________

About the Author:

J. Jeffrey stands about six foot three and likes poetry. He has been known to climb the occasional mountain and tame the occasional lion. He sings opera as an amateur but is trained as a masseur, and he is extremely partial to his wife’s green tea perfume. He drinks too much coffee, and gets lost a lot. Two words: Florence, Italy. Pastry for breakfast, over the crossword puzzle, preferably after noon. Soup for lunch, preferably late afternoon, over another puzzle (the first having been solved). His favorite drink (after coffee) is red wine. He knows a word or two but will not play scrabble. Regrettably, he believes he might be happy if only you would think him as funny as he thinks he is. But most importantly, he is not to be trusted. He writes biographies full of lies, or are they novels full of truths? Such a fine line.

____________________________

You can purchase The Second Daughter on Amazon in paperback or Kindle edition. 

   

Tasty Tuesday: Cauliflower-crusted Pizza

A healthier, low-carb alternative to the regular, carb-loaded, bread-crusted pizza. 

Ingredients:

Crust

2 cups of steamed cauliflower

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

Toppings

You may use any toppings you like, but if you would like to keep the recipe on the healthier side, I recommend using vegetable toppings, and minimal cheese.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 450º.


Mix cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, and eggs in food processor or blender.

Spread out the mixture on parchment paper, on a pizza pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Remove crust from the oven.

Add toppings, then place it in the oven until the cheese melts on top.

___________________________

Today’s Tasty Tuesday recipe was submitted by my little sister, Kelly. She has been kickin’ butt and takin’ names in her battle to lose weight. She has completely overhauled her eating and exercise habits. To date, she has lost 80lbs! I am so extremely proud of her! She is truly an inspiration to me! 

Will Run for Chocolate!!!

After Little A was born in November 2011, I kept telling myself I would run a 5K at some point in 2012. That was my fitness goal: to be able to run a 5K. I didn’t get serious about it until close to the end of the year when I saw this: 

This was amazing! If any of you know at least one thing about me, it’s probably that I LOVE chocolate.  I could combine my fitness goal AND my favorite sweet treat. 

Seriously? 

I’M IN!

The race wasn’t actually until January 2013, but better late than never, right? 

With this being my first race, I didn’t want to go it alone, so I told my little sister about it. 

This girl. 

I am so proud of her! 

She has lost 80 lbs and is an exercising fool! 

(I’ll actually be sharing one of her healthy recipes tomorrow!)

We downloaded running apps onto our Iphones so we wouldn’t kill ourselves trying to train for the race. We used the free app 10K for Pink. It’s very handy. It starts you out doing intervals of running and walking so you don’t jump right into running and give up. 

So race day came.  We arrived bright and early, or in this case, dark and early. 

We put on our race bibs and went to our race corrals!

There were close to 20,000 runners in the 15K & 5K. That place was packed!

We started at Turner Field, ran a 3.2 mile loop, and finished back at Turner Field.

It took us 38 minutes and 32 seconds to finish the race. 

I’m pretty proud of us!

After the race we enjoyed our finisher’s mugs! 

We got lots of tasty treats to dip in chocolate, and a cup of hot chocolate to go with it! 

Fitness Goal? 

Check! 

Tasty Chocolate?

Check!

Cool Race Hoodies?

Check!

Fun day with my little sister?

Check! 

I think this one was a winner! 

I’m gonna be doing it again next year! 

Caring Mom, or Fallback Plan?

 

   Every  day after school, Big A has the same routine. After we talk about her day for a few minutes, she goes to her room to do her homework and she reads for twenty minutes. She has a homework packet that her teacher hands out at the beginning of the week. Inside this packe, there is a page for each day of the week, Monday through Thursday. They do the work throughout the week and turn it in on Friday. 

   

    Her teacher had them put together binders at the beginning of the school year. Inside, they have an agenda, some notebook paper, a pencil pouch, and various folders labeled for certain things. One of these folders is labeled ‘Homework’. Can you guess what that one is for? RIGHT-O! That’s the folder she’s supposed to keep her homework in throughout the week so she doesn’t lose it before Friday. 

Does her homework ever make it into that folder? 

No. Never.

It gets shoved into her binder, or her backpack, or she lays it on her desk. Never, ever does the child put it in her homework folder. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve told her to put it there. It.doesn’t.happen.

Now, let’s talk about last Thursday. 

I’m sitting at my desk writing some content for my blog when Big A comes into my bedroom and asks me where her homework is. I have no clue. It’s not my homework, it’s hers. Plus, I told her the night before to put it in her homework folder. Of course, it never made it there.

“I can’t find it anywhere!”

“I told you to put it in your homework folder last night.”

“I know.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I thought I did.” 

“Obviously you didn’t.”

“If I don’t turn it in tomorrow, Mrs. H will make me sit out at recess and do the whole thing all over again!”

“Then you better get lookin’!”

“I need help!”

“No you don’t. It’s your homework. Not mine. I told you to put it where it belongs last night and you didn’t listen.”

>Insert more whining and complaining about needing help finding it, and me refusing.<

    She finally found it and completed it. After I checked it for errors, I gave it back to her and told her to put it in her homework folder. She said, ‘Ok,’ and took it downstairs to her room. Silly me, for not checking to see whether it made it there or not. Should I have to check?  Or should I just assume that, at 8-years-old, she’s old enough to be responsible for her homework?

    Fast-forward to the next morning. It’s time to walk to the bus stop and she’s about to walk out the door. I have to remind her to get her coat. She makes a trip downstairs, comes back with her coat in one hand, and (did you guess?) her homework in the other.

“Why is your homework not in your homework folder?”

“I set it on my desk.”

“That’s not where I told you to put it.” 

“I know.”

>banging head against wall<

 It was freezing outside, so I insisted she put her coat on. She put it on, grabbed her backpack, and walked down to the bus stop. Since the bus stop is at the bottom of our road (only about 3 houses down from ours), I stand at the end of our driveway and watch her get on the bus. Little A & Middle A are still sleeping at this time every morning, so I don’t want to go too far away from the house. I watch as the bus pulls up, she and the other kids at the stop get on, and they head to school. I walk inside, take off my coat, hang it up, and turn to walk up the stairs. 

Guess what’s sitting there on the stairs? 

HER HOMEWORK! 

The very same homework she was freaking out over the day before. 

 

The very same homework she was so worried about having to re-do during recess. 

She sat it on the step as she put her coat and backpack on, and neither of us realized she had left it behind. 

    So now I have this inner quarrel going on: 

Should I take it to her? 

or

Should I let her learn her lesson?

If I take it to her, I would be ‘the best Mom ever’ for saving her little butt. Right? But then, what if she makes a habit of it? She obviously isn’t being responsible with her homework in the first place. I don’t want her to think that she can just use me as a fall-back plan whenever she’s irresponsible, or when she makes wrong choices. On the other hand, I want her to know that I’m there for her when she needs me. Is this a ‘she needs me’ moment? 

Ahhhh crap! 

Parenting is hard. 

Is there a right or wrong answer? 

Who knows?

    In the end, I chose not to take it to her. I know from our conversation on Thursday that she knew what the consequences were if she didn’t have her homework on Friday. If she was so concerned with having it, she would have put it in her homework folder, right? Then it would have been in her backpack and ready to take to school.  Instead, she laid it on her desk and grabbed it on her way out the door the next morning. 

Let’s hear from some other moms! 

Do you agree with my choice? 

Disagree? 

Why? 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

Chicken Lasagna
Submitted by Bree Masters

Ingredients
6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces 

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup broccoli florets

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 jar Alfredo sauce, reserve 1 cup

3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 

lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese




Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, brocolli, carrots and onion in oil until chicken is no longer pink. 

Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in Alfredo sauce.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened.

In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning.

Layer as you would a normal lasagna.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

You may add more alfredo sauce depending on your preference. 

Enjoy!

___________________________

Today’s recipe was sent in by Bree Masters.

"I've been cooking since I was old enough to pull a chair to the stove to see. There's a sense of satisfaction in watching people enjoy something I've made. I have a 4 year old stepson who loves to help me in the kitchen. I've found he's more apt to eat it if he knows what's in it, and it helps him develop a healthy relationship with food. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as he does!"

___________________________________________ 

Would you like to be part of Four A’s and a D? I’m looking for more people to submit their favorite recipes for Tasty Tuesday. It can be any type of recipe; dinner, breakfast, dessert, appetizers, or snacks. Just click the ‘Contact Me’ tab at the top of the page and fill out the form so I can send you an email with more information.    

The Vagabond Studio

Meet Shai.

Shai is one of my BFF’s and the mastermind behind The Vagabond Studio.

I get a lot of my creative inspiration from her. 

And parenting inspiration. 

And productive motivation. 

This woman is ahhh-mazing! 

Honestly, I think she has some sort of device that freezes time. Nobody can get as much done over the course of a day as this girl! 

She’s a full-time student, wife, mom, blogger, and Etsy shop owner. 

Last year, Shai was named number 7 in Top 25 Eco-Friendly Moms on Circle of Moms.

Voting is currently being held for 2013’s Top 25 Eco-Friendly Moms. 

PLEASE click here to vote for her! 

Her latest feature was in Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine, Winter /Spring 2013 issue. 

How could these beautiful bouquets and boutonnières NOT be a big hit?!

She also makes beautiful hair clips!

You can read more about Superwo....Shai....at her blog, The Vagabond Studio. 

Or if you would like to see more of her handmade goodies, visit her Etsy shop!

Our Little Matchmaker

This is Big A. 

She’s my oldest daughter. 

She’s smart. 

She’s beautiful. 

She’s creative. 

She’s funny. 

She never ceases to amaze me. 

She’s the reason her father and I met. 

David and I have been together since Big A was 2 1/2 years old. 

I remember the day he walked into my daycare classroom. He was looking for a class for his daughter, who happened to be in the age group that I taught. 

(I think I might have done a fist pump in my head when I found out.  Just in case you haven’t noticed, my hubby’s pretty hot). 

We found out a few weeks after Big A started in my class that we also went to the same church. I was new in town, so I hadn’t met a lot of people yet. We have three different worship times at our church on Sunday mornings, so I had never seen him there.

A few months later, I called D one night to check on Big A because she hadn’t been to school the last couple of days. 

That was all it took. 

We talked for eight or nine hours that night. Both of us had to work the next day, but we didn’t care. We were in our own little world. 

We started dating after that. 

We dated for about 9 months before he proposed to me on Christmas night, 2008. 

We were engaged for more than a year before we got married. 

I consider our wedding day to be one of the most important days of my life. Not only did I become the wife to my soul mate, I also became a mom to the little girl who changed my life forever. I tell her quite often not to forget that I fell in love with her before I fell in love with her daddy. 

I love our family. We wouldn’t exist without our Big A. 

She’s a comedian. 

She’s an artist.

She’s a scholar.

She’s an author.

She’s a singer. 

She’s an actress. 

She’s a basketball player.

She’s a loving sister. 

She’s my daughter. 

I wouldn’t trade her for the world. 

Wordless Wednesday

We’re all THAT mom.

I can’t take Little A grocery shopping.

I can’t.

People look at me and laugh when I say that, but it’s the truth.

She’s a major screamer. I don’t mean that she’ll let out a couple of squeals every now and then when she wants something. She’s a full-on, ear-ringing, head-splitting screamer. I think she’s somehow a cross between a banshee and a siren. I would be absolutely fine with that and power on through my shopping trip if that was the only thing.

I think she’s part houdini, too.

This kid can climb.

People say, “Just buckle her into the shopping cart.”

NO.

It doesn’t work.

She can climb out of shopping carts, even when she’s buckled in.

So picture me walking through the grocery store wrestling a screaming toddler while trying to find the things on my list. It’s stressful. It’s hard. It makes ME want to start screaming right along with her.

I get so many of those looks. You know...the ones that say, “Shut your kid up!” and “Why can’t you control your child?!” and “You are failing at life!”
Okay...maybe that last one is a little far out there, but all moms feel that way at least once.
It’s not the looks that bother me. I could care less what other people think of me or my parenting style. Grocery shopping is just stressful for me. Middle A was very easygoing, and still is. Dealing with Little A is like a whole new ballgame.

My solution?
I ask someone to watch the girls while I go grocery shopping. That turns my hour-and-a-half shopping trip into about a 30-45 minute trip. It’s much easier to get everything on my list, and I don’t have to rush. Not to mention my stress level is waaay lower than when I take the kiddos.

So on Wednesday while I was grocery shopping (all by myself!), there was another mom there with a little boy who was absolutely done shopping. You could tell he was exhausted and just wanted to go home. They were in front of me in the checkout line. The mom kept giving me these, “I’m so embarrassed! He’s not usually like this.” looks. I knew exactly how she felt. None of us want to be that mom--the one who can’t control her kids. Honestly though, kids will be kids. They all have their moments. Sometimes we can calm them down, and sometimes we can’t. That’s just life.

So next time you’re at the store and one of your kids decides to show their less-than-flattering side, just remember....we’ve all been there. We’ve all dealt with it. You’re not the only one. We understand.

For those few that have the guts to actually put into words what the look has already affectively communicated, just give them a big smile and tell them to have a nice day. Not only will it throw them for a loop, it will also show them that you don’t give a pile of dirty diapers about their opinion.

So here’s a big THANK YOU to Angela, my brother-in-law’s girlfriend. You help keep me from being that mom at the grocery store. Even better, you help me keep my sanity.

Book Spotlight: Impossible Compassion

      

Impossible Compassion

by Edward Mannix

Genre: Self-Help

• Print Length: 194 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1480188743
• ______________________________
• Synopsis:
•     How do we end suffering in our own life and on the planet? How do we bring about seemingly impossible outcomes such as miraculously healing our self from a fatal disease, saving the environment or ending violence and war?
  
  
      In his second book, Edward Mannix takes on our assumptions about what is possible and impossible for us as individuals and as a species, and he provides us with a new paradigm and new tools that enable us to achieve that which was previously unachievable.
  
  
      The new paradigm he presents includes two key concepts the author calls metaphysical causation and interlocking karma. 
  
  
      Metaphysical causation at first sounds a lot like the Law of Attraction but ends up being quite a bit different. According to the author it is not our thoughts that create our reality, but rather it is our karma or karmic imprints that are projected onto the movie screen of our life by the powerful projector of our soul. By moving the discussion away from the potency of our thoughts to something more difficult to observe - our karmic imprints - the book reveals to us important hidden aspects of the creative mechanism of life, and offers us the opportunity to intervene in this causal process in a new and powerful way. For those readers who have tried the Law of Attraction and found it sometimes effective and other times ineffective, it is likely that the information presented in this text will illuminate why those techniques often fall down. 
  
  
      Impossible Compassion provides a missing link of sorts, helping us identify and change our karmic imprints through the use of simple tools and processes that fall under the heading of what the author calls directed compassion. By utilizing our own compassion to alter the karmic imprints on the film of our soul - which the book teaches us how to do in specific detail - we can literally re-write the script of our life, leading to rapid and potentially miraculous changes in our external world.
  
  
      And, while according to metaphysical causation we each sit at the center of and in some way create our own universe, we are also all connected to one another and part of each others' created universes. In his discussion of what he calls interlocking karma, the author illuminates this critical paradox that is so often misunderstood or entirely missed by students and teachers of modern spirituality. In so doing, he gives us further insight into the process of reality unfolding, and it is with an understanding of interlocking karma that we can see how giving our self compassion can influence the physical health of a loved one or help bring about major changes in our collective reality, e.g., ending violence and war. 
  ________________________________
  
  
  About the Author
  
  

Edward Mannix has been on a conscious path of personal and spiritual development for over twenty years. He has practiced Vipassana meditation in a monastery in Burma, travelled to Nepal to receive teachings and empowerments from Tibetan Rinpoches, and worked with hidden masters from a number of traditions and geographies, spanning Asia, Europe and the United States. Throughout his journey, Edward has consistently focused on a form of practical spirituality – integrating his spiritual pursuits into ordinary life, not leaving worldly endeavors behind, but instead using them as a vehicle to go deeper into awakening. While on his conscious path and prior to becoming an author, he worked in the private sector as a management consultant and social entrepreneur. He holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University where he studied Sustainability and Social Enterprise, an M.A. from The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Indiana University. Drawing upon unique insight and an unusually diverse set of life experiences, Edward brings fresh perspective to ancient wisdom, and is emerging as an important new voice in the arenas of philosophy, spiritual development and personal transformation. 

  You can visit Edward Mannix’s website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I share a recipe now and then. I’m always looking for new recipes for my family. So now I’m starting a new feature called Tasty Tuesday. I’m going to try to feature a new recipe each week from a friend, a family member, or YOU! I love to hear from my readers, so I’m asking that if you have any favorite recipes, share them! They can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, or dessert! Just click on the ‘Contact Me’ tab above to send me a quick email letting me know you’d like to contribute. I’ll email you with details on how to be featured on Tasty Tuesday!

I’m going to start off the very first Tasty Tuesday with a huge favorite in our house: 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 lbs of potatoes, cut into small cubes.

1 1/2 tsp of garlic

  1/2 tsp of pepper

4 1/2 cups of chicken broth

   1/2 cup of whipping cream or half & half

1   cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of crumbled bacon  (I buy a pkg of real bacon bits)

Directions:

-Combine potatoes, garlic, and pepper in your crock pot. Pour broth all over mixture. 

-Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.

-Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in whipping cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon. 

________________________________

Everyone in our house LOVES this recipe. The kids have seconds and thirds, even Little A! 

I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine! 

Don’t forget to contact me if you would like to submit a recipe to be featured on Tasty Tuesday!